New Zealand’s Parliament came to a standstill on Thursday—not because of politics as usual, but because Maori members of Te Pati performed a haka to disturb a vote on a contentious bill that has sparked protests across the South Pacific island.
The bill threatened to rewrite the Treaty of Waitangi—an agreement reached 184 years ago between British colonizers and 500 Maori chiefs. The treaty, first signed in 1840, outlined the shared governance between the British Crown and the tangata whenua, “the people of the land” (the literal translation.) Since the signing of the treaty, Maori rights and freedoms have advanced, moving the country in a far more progressive direction (even though the land was theirs to begin with).
However, there have been increasing calls for the government—namely, the ACT New Zealand party, a minor partner in a center-right coalition, which is pushing for the definitions laid out in said treaty to be capped.
The New Zealand government is pulling back on protecting Māori rights, sparking protests from indigenous lawmakers who oppose the decision with their traditional “haka” chant.
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) November 14, 2024
This is powerful. pic.twitter.com/ed5OKaDRB1
Member of Parliament (MP) Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, who is also a member of the Te Pati Maori, led the valiant haka after she was asked whether the party would support the vote.
Obviously, it was a resounding no.
Their haka filled the gallery as the Speaker called for order, but the order had left the room. The haka stretches back through generations. Traditionally, it wasn’t just a way to welcome visiting tribes; it was also the battle cry of warriors.
The haka is an eruption of sound and motion: spirited chants that pierce the air, feet that shake the ground like thunder and hands weaving tales into the blustering winds. No haka would be complete without the fierce facial expressions intended to unnerve their foes. Maori lore tells the story of Tama-nui-te-ra, the sun god, and Hine-Raumati, the goddess of summer and Tane-rore, their son. Tane-rore used to dance for his mother under the scorching summer sky, and according to the legend, the dance is responsible for the “quivering” appearance of the air on hot summer days.
Maipi-Clarke was suspended from the house, but the fight was not over.
Around 10,000 people crowded the streets of Rotorua on Friday, their footsteps, a drumbeat of resistance against the Treaty Principal. The air hummed with purpose as they marched toward Wellington, 280 miles to the south— proudly waving the Maori flag high.
ACT’s leader, David Seymour, attempted to downplay the traditional protest, dismissing it as a mere “distraction” and accusing opponents of adding fuel to an already inflammatory issue.
“My mission is to empower every person,” he said, though his words rang hollow. According to Seymour, the Maori “have been able to develop principles that have been used to justify actions that are contrary to the principle of equal rights.”
ACT says they’re leveling the field and claims that any amendments would only succeed in bringing about clarity, but for whom? To the Indigenous community, this legal battle is tantamount to erasure, another branch in the long, grueling history of colonial oppression for the Maori, who currently account for approximately 20% of New Zealand’s population of 5.3 million.
